Fem van Empel (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) has added another win to her rapidly growing tally for this year in the UCI Cyclocross World Cup when she was best in Dublin. The 20-year-old Dutch rider has already won the Europeans, among 10 major cyclocross victories in 2022, including six rounds of the World Cup.
Today on the Sport Ireland Campus in Blanchardstown she was locked into a battle at the head of the field with compatriot Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck). While Pieterse - the U23 European and world champion - was chasing her third World Cup win of the season in a freezing Dublin today, she had to settle for 2nd behind Van Empel.
“I wasn’t really feeling OK during the race because of some stomach problems last night," said winner Van Empel. "I was not 100 per cent or feeling myself, but I could also win without feeling 100 per cent.
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“Luckily I had the energy left on the last corner which made the difference to overtake Puck. We were really strong both together. I think we are at the same level at the moment and it is either Puck or me and every race a battle."
On the first lap, Pieterse crashed at the planks on the Dublin course and dropped back, losing about 20 seconds. However, the Dutch rider never gave up and her work in the chase saw her catch Van Empel around midway through the contest.
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Though she had used up some of her bullets getting back to the front, she was full of racing and launched several surges off the front in a bid to distance Van Empel. However, each time Van Empel responded, ensuring the leading duo stayed together for the remainder of the race.
It wasn't until the run in to the finish that they were finally separated when Van Empel jumped to win by just two seconds from Pieterse.
Denise Betsema (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) was 3rd, some 1:37 down and completing a Dutch clean sweep of the podium. Another of the Dutch riders, Inge van der Heijden (777), was 4th at 2:26, just getting the better of Marie Schreiber, the Luxembourger riding for Tormans Cyclocross Team.
On a day when 18 riders finished on the same lap as the winner, Team Ireland's Maria Larkin was 20th at one lap and was followed by Roisin Lally (Team Ireland) in 23rd and young Aine Doherty (VC Glendale) - competing in her first elite World Cup aged 16 years and placing 24th.
They were followed - in positions 25th to 30th - by Hannah McClorey (RFDA), Caoimhe May (Orwell Wheelers), Stephanie Roche (Scott Bright Motors), Michaelle Geoghegan (VeloRevolution), Niamh Stephens (Giant Dublin) and Annie Roche (Scott Bright Motors).
